Sandy MaloneLas Vegas, NV – The founder of The Wounded Blue has accused Facebook of having an anti-police bias after the social media platform blocked a fundraising video for a violation of its advertising policies.
“This ad isn’t running because it uses an image or video that contains shocking, sensational, or excessively violent content,” the notification message from Facebook read.
“This type of material causes an unexpected experience for users, and goes against our core value of fostering a positive global community,” Facebook’s message said.
But there is nothing “shocking, sensational, or excessively violent” about the ad promoting The Wounded Blue, which is nonprofit organization for law enforcement officers who have been injured in the line of duty and survived.
“The grave injustices to our law enforcement officers exposed in our film at The Wounded Blue are now being compounded by Facebook’s apparent anti-law enforcement bias,” Randy Sutton, a retired police lieutenant and founder of The Wounded Blue, told PJ Media. “Protecting America’s injured and disabled officers shouldn’t be a political issue.”
Sutton introduced the video and provided narration throughout.
“Imagine an officer being shot, stabbed, or beaten in the line of duty, suffering grave or disabling injuries, and not receiving adequate medical treatment or not having their medical bills paid at all,” Sutton said in the video. “Imagine that same officer being told their pay is dramatically cut or not getting paid at all after they are injured or disabled.”
The Wounded Blue video ad explained the reason for the creation of the nationally-reaching nonprofit organization and featured pictures of wounded and recovering law enforcement officers.
“Impossible, Right? Wrong,” Sutton continued in the video. “As thousands of officers who have been injured and or disabled while serving their communities are being abandoned by the very same cities, towns, and agencies they’ve sacrificed so much for.”
The video shows nothing that could reasonably considered to be in violation of Facebook’s advertising guidelines.
“His medical bills, they went unpaid for more than a year and a half until a court ordered the city to pay them,” Sutton explained the story of one officer featured in the video. “Even after the court victory, the father is only getting paid $375 per week.”
The video is not graphic or violent and proved to be nothing more than a fundraising solicitation for financial support for injured law enforcement officers.
“Facebook should be supporting injured and disabled law enforcement instead of allowing their political agenda to hide their pain and suffering,” Sutton raged to Blue Lives Matter. “Facebook says it stands on principles of justice. Banning a post revealing the horrendous treatment of injured and disabled police is, in my opinion, a true injustice and reveals how little heart Facebook really has.”
(NOTE: Sutton is also a spokesman for Blue Lives Matter, in the interest of full disclosure.)
The Wounded Blue website explains that the organization was created to support the men and women who have been wounded in the line of duty but whose departments are not covering medicals bills, approving treatment, and continuing to pay them.
The call to action at the end of the ad spoke to wounded officers deserving support.
“There are thousands of injured and disabled law enforcement officers and their families suffering from not only their injuries, but their feelings of loss and abandonment,” Sutton closed the fundraising initiative. “They deserve our help and I truly believe that through kindness, compassion, and unity, we can make a difference.”
The ad continued to be banned by Facebook as of Tuesday evening.
The Wounded Blue’s stories of wounded and forgotten officers are highlighted in their newly-launched documentary on Amazon.
Check out the video that Facebook said violated their advertising rules here below: